4:29a

And as soon as the grain is ripe: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ripe indicates that the grain is ready for harvesting. The New Jerusalem Bible says:

when the crop is ready

grain: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as grain is singular in form but refers to many individual grain seeds. In some languages it may be more natural to use a plural form like “grain seeds” or a different noun like “crop” here.

4:29b

he swings the sickle: The verb swings is an indirect way of referring to cutting the grain with the sickle. Some other ways of translating this expression are:

the man starts cutting it with his sickle (Good News Bible)
-or-
he puts the sickle to it (New International Version)

sickle: The word sickle refers to a curved cutting tool. It is used to cut many stalks (with the grain still on them) at one time.

If people in your area do not use a tool like a sickle to cut grain, you may want to:

• Use a term for a cutting tool that could be used in this way. For example:

knife
-or-
machete

• Translate this verse part without referring to the kind of tool used. Here are some examples:

he cuts it
-or-
he reaps/harvests it

4:29c

because the harvest has come: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces the reason why the man begins to use his sickle. He uses it because the crops are ready to harvest.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

because harvest time has come (Good News Bible)
-or-
because this is the harvest time (New Century Version)
-or-
because the crops are ripe

General Comment on 4:29a–c

In some languages, it may be redundant to translate 4:29c as a separate clause. This is because the meaning of 4:29c may already be clear from 4:29a–b. If that is true in your language, you may combine the three parts of the verse. For example:

When it is ripe, he takes his sickle and begins to harvest it.
-or-
Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
As soon as it is ripe, he goes and harvests it.

General Comment on 4:29b–c

In this verse, 4:29c expresses the reason for the result in 4:29b. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of these clauses. For example:

29cthe harvest has come, 29bso he puts the sickle to it
-or-
29cthe harvest has come, 29bthat is why he puts the sickle to it

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